Matisyahu

Matisyahu was just a beatboxing rich-kid named Matt from White Plains, N.Y. before converting Hasidic Judaism and making his name as a reggae star. Whether or not youre down with Matisyahus message, its hard to deny that reggae and Hasidism make impressive bedfellowsa hint of Marley and Psalms in the same breath. And even after his novelty wears off, youre left with some respectable musical chops; songs like the early hit King Without a Crown and recent radio mainstay One Day sport addictive melodies. Any flatness in his recordings disappear during a live performance (as proven by 2005s Live at Stubbs and 2009s Live at Twist & Shout), and a shot of his beatboxing just adds to a stage energy that cant quite be captured in an album. With Dub Trio. NICK FELDMAN